SA Solidarity Cup 3TC: All you need to know
Cricket will resume in South Africa with a new, bizarre format, the 3TC Solidarity Cup that has befuddled fans all across the globe. 3 Team Cricket (3TC) is all set to be played on Saturday, July 18 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
All the three teams will play in the same match, which will consist of 36 overs divided into two halves of 18 overs each. The revenue from the match will be donated to the people of the cricketing fraternity who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This latest revolution in cricket will surely be entertaining to everyone involved. The three teams will look to outscore each other in a single game while getting to bat a dozen overs each.
The three teams, consisting of eight players each, will be led by South African superstars Quinton de Kock, Heinrich Klaasen and AB de Villiers respectively.
3TC Rules
1) A 3TC match will be played by three teams having eight players each. The match consists of 36 overs to be played in two halves of 18 overs each, with a break at halftime.
2) Teams bat for one innings of 12 overs, split between two 6-over periods. They face one opponent in the first half and the other opponent in the second half. For example, if team A bowls to team B in the first half, then during the second half team C will bowl to team B.
3) In the first half, teams rotate from batting to bowling to dugout with the starting positions determined by a random draw. In the second half, teams bat in order of the highest scores in the first half. If scores are tied, the first half order is reversed. For example, in the first half, team A bats first and scores 44 runs, team B bats second and scores 52 runs, and team C bats last and scores 47 runs, the batting order in the second half will be team B, team C and team A.
4) After the fall of the 7th wicket, the last batsman stands alone. However, he can only score runs in even numbers. If the 7th wicket falls in the first half, the team forfeits the remaining part of that half and the last batsman resumes the innings in the second half.
5) Each bowling team has the use of one new ball for their full quota of 12 overs, for both opponents. A maximum of three overs per bowler is allowed. An incomplete over due to the fall of the 7th wicket shall be completed with dot balls.
6) The team that scores the most runs wins Gold. If 2 teams tie with the most runs, a super over decides who will win the Gold; if all 3 teams tie, all get Gold; and, in a tie for second, Silver is shared.
Safety protocols in place for the 3TC match
All these rules seem quite baffling and add another layer to an already complex game. One can just wait and watch whether this 3TC format picks up or blows over. One glance at these rules and we can surely conclude that 3TC has replaced the ECB's "The Hundred" as the most complicated format of the game.
“First of all it will be an empty stadium, we’re looking at the minimum number of people being there for the event to happen and be broadcast, which is about 200. The players will get in three days before and be kept in a sanitised eco-system. In the stadium, everyone will wear masks and doors will be kept open along with other safety measures,” CSA’s chief medical officer, Dr Shuaib Manjra, said regarding the safety protocols.
3TC Teams
OUTsurance Kingfishers: Reeza Hendricks (captain), Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan, Faf du Plessis, Thando Ntini, Gerald Coetzee, Glenton Stuurman, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Mr D Food Kites: Temba Bavuma (captain), Jon-Jon Smuts, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Lutho Sipamla, Beuran Hendricks, Anrich Nortje, Ryan Rickleton.
Takealot Eagles: AB de Villiers (captain), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Junior Dala, Lungi Ngidi.
3TC Live streaming and telecast details
The first-ever 3TC game will be played on July 18 at SuperSport Park in Centurion at 2:30 pm IST.
The match will be streamed live on the Star Sports Network.